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July 15, 2011

Nintendo 3DS Now Features Netflix Streaming Video

by Sam Savage

Netflix members with the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system can now head over to the Nintendo eShop to download their very own free streaming application, according to Nintendo.

Eventually, 3DS users will be able to watch 3D movies without special glasses, but currently, the 2D version of the App is available to give owners access to the Netflix movie library that can be streamed through Wi-Fi hubs around the country.

Nintendo says that "an additional library of select movies that can be viewed in 3D without the need for special glasses" will be coming "soon."

"The new Netflix application looks great, plays great and is a fantastic consumer experience," Reggie Fils-Aime, President of Nintendo of America, said in a statement.

"It gives Nintendo 3DS owners access to an amazing wealth of movies and TV shows, which they can watch conveniently from thousands of free Wi-Fi access points across the country."

CNET reports that the launch of Netflix on the 3DS comes at a difficult time for Nintendo's portable. It's concept of allowing users to play 3D games without needing special glasses has not hit the ground running, as Nintendo had hoped it would.

At a financial briefing in April, Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata said that consumers did not quite understand how the device could work.

"The value of 3D images without the need for special glasses is hard to be understood through the existing media," he said.

"However, we have found that people cannot feel it just by trying out a device, rather, some might even misestimate it when experiencing the images in an improper fashion. This makes it more important to give people more opportunities for appropriate experiences of glassless 3D images."

"Nintendo is a terrific partner with Netflix," co-founder and CEO of Netflix Reed Hastings said in the Nintendo statement. "We're excited to extend the partnership to include streaming on Nintendo 3DS."

Nintendo's Wii console already has the ability to stream Netflix content, and on average, more than 1.5 million Netflix members a day instantly watch streaming content through these consoles. Now they are able to enjoy big action films, award-winning documentaries or hit reality shows and sitcoms on the Nintendo 3DS anytime, anywhere.

In order to watch Netflix streaming on the 3DS, users will need to connect to the Web via Wi-Fi, and must also have a Netflix membership plan, which starts at $7.99 a month.

Netflix announced new pricing plans this week which takes effect immediately for new members and on September 1 for existing users. Now customers will be charged separately for streaming content ($7.99 per month) and DVD-by-mail service ($7.99 per month), totaling of about $15.98 a month for both services.